Lucky you Duck - have lots of fun!!Clyde..I think a lot of people pay over the odds for a hotel because you want somewhere 'nice' to stay but you are really just sleeping there and paying for the privilege, you may have a nice meal there too but there are some gorgeous proper olde inns that do amazing food (and I don't mean chips with everything) with real ales and class wines and then you can have a lovely walk back to the hotel afterwards....ahh bliss.

I've been on driving holidays through Scotland and Wales, and have also had weekend breaks throughout the UK. I have always thought that the accomodation was a let-down, plus the cost of the holidays was more than an equivalent holiday in the popular EU destinations would have cost. I guess we were just unlucky. The scenery was very nice to see, though.

I don't think the UK is really expensive if you shop about a bit. It cost us £100 off ebay for a week in a holiday park earlier this year - 2 of us and 3 kids - probably take the kids camping for a few days in a week or so and then we are having a week in wales in a rented cottage. I never really went for luxury anyway - last year we were camping in the Highlands and spent a few nights by the Moray Firth - going for an early morning run along the beach and seeing dolphins playing about 20 feet from the shore at Chanonry Point. Took the kids to France last year but to be honest I think there's probably more for them to do in this country.

Camping is bad enough in a country with decent weather - but its absolute hell in the UK. Id rather lose my right arm in an industrial accident than camp on a holiday.

the thing is the UK does have nice places and areas, but I take a lot of them in on races (ultra distance off road events are great ways of really seeing a place) and live on a fairly nice part of the coast anyway so why the hell would I holiday here?

It just makes no sense, especially when for the price of a long weekend here in a decent quality hotel in the UK you can get a cheap easy jet flight down to Nice buy a hire car drive into provence get a nicer hotel for your money, infinately better food, see something that is not on your doorstep and is genuinely nicer anyway, and get decent weather. All for the same sort of cost.

I just fail to understand why anyone would want to holiday on some crappy cold beach in cornwall.

I love camping. I can stay at home in comfort all year long if i wanted to. Getting out into tents is a great change. Plus we've had great weather in Devon for the past few years. Shorts and teeshirts almost every day.

Cougie - well said. I suppose it is what you are looking for in a holiday. Me personally..I like to explore places and spend time in that place not rushing because the children are bored and have no interest and who can blame them? so when my children are older I am hoping to explore the world at mine and my hubby's pace and pleasure, but until then I am very happy to enjoy the beautiful country we live in, it may not have the most incredible weather but it has some of the most amazing places. Places like Scotland and the Peak district wouldn't be quite so green and lush looking if it were hot there and they do say you can't enjoy the rainbow if there isn't any rain.

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